Written Answers Tuesday 19 September 2006

Scottish Executive

Anthrax

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated time period is for confirming the presence of anthrax in samples sent for analysis.

Mr Andy Kerr: It is not possible to give an absolute time period because each case depends on its own facts and circumstances.

  If large numbers of anthrax spores or bacilli are present then a sample might be reported provisionally as being positive within a few hours, with confirmation in around one day. Samples not assessed provisionally as being positive need to be cultured for a period of around one week to allow any bacilli present to reach a detectable level.

Care of Elderly People

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects its review into free personal care to be completed.

Lewis Macdonald: The first phase of this work was published on 20 June 2006 and the findings are available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/06/29093046/0.

  The second phase of this work is underway and its findings will be published early next year.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides for staff in relation to good hygiene practice in nursing homes.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent nursing home-acquired infections.

Lewis Macdonald: Prevention of infection in care homes is a result of good management, provision of up-to-date infection control policies and procedures which are readily available to all staff, education of new staff at induction and on-going education to existing staff, and monitoring and audit, with actions taken to remedy any deficiencies.

  The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, its associated regulations and the National Care Standards against which the Care Commission regulates care homes, require providers to have appropriate procedures in place for the control of infection and management of clinical waste. Staff working in care homes are required to be appropriately trained and qualified for the jobs they do. The hygiene and infection control triggers used by the Care Commission Officers when inspecting adult care homes cover a range of areas, including evidence of staff training and knowledge of hygiene, infection control and waste disposal issues.

  The commission inspects care homes at least twice a year. Where there are concerns, the Care Commission has the power to put recommendations and/or requirements on a care service to ensure any issues are addressed.

  The Care Commission employs a Professional Adviser on hygiene and infection control who provides information and education to Care Commission Officers to assist them in their regulatory role of registration, inspection, complaint investigation and enforcement. Officers are then able to update service providers as necessary during inspections.

  Based on the findings in its Review of Cleanliness, Hygiene and Infection Control in Care Homes for Older People, published in 2005, the Care Commission has collaborated with NHS Education Scotland in an infection control study day to assist service providers in their efforts to improve infection control within their services. This was complemented by infection control workshops at the Royal College of Nursing study day for care homes in May 2006. Further workshops have been planned for a future study day at Heriot Watt University.

  The Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force, set up by ministers in 2003, was influential in opening up the "Cleanliness Champions" training, initially developed for the NHS, to the independent sector, including care homes. This education programme developed by NHS Education Scotland is available to the independent and voluntary sector at Scott College in Dumbarton.

  In 2005, the Scottish Executive published infection control best practice standards for adult care homes. These standards underpin the regulatory requirement for care services to have appropriate procedures in place for infection control.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that elderly people in nursing homes receive appropriate nutrition from their meals.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring is undertaken of the dehydration and hydration of elderly people in nursing homes.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives in relation to preventing dehydration among elderly people in nursing homes.

Lewis Macdonald: Good nutritional practices in care homes are a result of good management, up-to-date policies and procedures which are readily available to all staff, education of new staff at induction and on-going education to existing staff, and monitoring and audit, with actions taken to remedy any deficiencies.

  The Care Commission, as the national regulator of care services in Scotland, is required to take account of the National Care Standards (NCS), published by Scottish ministers in carrying out its regulatory functions. The NCS for Care Homes for Older People cover a range of important issues including nutrition and monitoring the liquid intake of residents. Care home staff are expected to monitor residents’ food and drink intake and, where there are concerns, take advice from appropriate professionals, such as a dietician or GP. The commission inspects care homes at least twice a year and has the power to put recommendations and/or requirements on a care service to ensure that any issues of concern are addressed.

  Improving nutrition in care homes for older people is one of the commission’s inspection themes for 2006-07. The findings will be reported nationally. The triggers used by Care Commission Officers for nutrition when inspecting care homes cover a range of areas including evidence of a food and nutrition policy; evidence of residents’ meal preferences being met; evidence that fluid needs are being met, and evidence of staff training and knowledge of nutritional issues.

  The Care Commission employs a Professional Adviser on nutrition who provides information and education to Care Commission Officers to assist them in their regulatory role of registration, inspection, complaint investigation and enforcement. Officers are then able to update service providers as necessary during inspections.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive provided funding to support the recent appointment by the Care Commission of a Nurse Consultant for Care Homes. Part of her role will be to create a learning network for staff in care homes. one project will focus on nutrition, and the commission’s nutrition adviser and its dieticians network for care homes will work together on this initiative.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring is undertaken of (a) infection control and (b) nutritional standards in nursing homes.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-28124 and S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Care of Elderly People

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the monitoring of nutritional and hygiene practices in care homes.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has no plans to increase the monitoring of nutritional and hygiene practices in care homes. There is already a robust regulatory framework in place through the Care Commission.

  I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-28124 and S2W-28126 on 19 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Charities

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that treating liability insurance as remuneration in kind in respect of charity trustees will encourage or discourage individuals to take up such positions and whether it will consider introducing amending legislation to remove the interpretation of liability insurance as a benefit in kind to charity trustees.

Johann Lamont: As I explained in my answer to question on 28 August 2006, the Scottish Executive is aware of the concerns of the voluntary sector that the restrictions on the provision of trustee indemnity insurance from charity funds (by treating it as remuneration in kind) under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 may deter potential trustees from taking up such position with Scottish charities.

  Through our reform of charity law we are committed to establishing a properly regulated and supported charity sector. In doing this we will take measures, legislative or otherwise, to address any constraints on the sector which may hamper the achievement of this commitment. We recognise that the current treatment of trustee indemnity insurance is proving problematic and we have therefore been actively working through the options available for addressing the issue. I am hopeful of being able to confirm how we will be taking this matter forward very shortly, at which point I will ensure Mr Martin is provided with the relevant details.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Child Welfare

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the recommendations of Sir David Henshaw’s report, Recovering child support: routes to responsibility , and what issues have been identified as having a distinctive Scottish aspect.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its comments on the UK Government’s response to Sir David Henshaw’s report, Recovering child support: routes to responsibility , prior to 18 September 2006.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether the implementation of the recommendations of Sir David Henshaw’s report, Recovering child support: routes to responsibility , will require separate Scottish legislation and, if so, whether this will be addressed through an act of the Scottish Parliament or by means of a legislative consent memorandum.

Hugh Henry: Sir David Henshaw’s report was published in July 2006 together with the UK Government’s response, A fresh start: child support redesign-the Government’s response to Sir David Henshaw . The response takes the form of a consultation document, seeking views on the wide range of issues raised. It acknowledges that any proposed legislative changes within devolved competence would be for the Scottish Parliament. A white paper will be published in the autumn.

  Scottish ministers welcome the focus in the consultation paper on child welfare and on reducing child poverty. Executive officials are discussing with the Department for Work and Pensions the possible implications of the redesign of the child support agency for devolved responsibilities, in areas such as child poverty, birth registration policy, the role of the courts, and provision of family support services.

Crime

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of recorded crimes were cleared up by Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary in 2005-06.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the percentage of crimes cleared up by the Scottish police forces is given in table 5 of the statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland 2005-06 , copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40365).

Emergency Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what extra resources it will receive from the UK Government, in light of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on 13 February 2006 that a further £135 million will be provided for regional intelligence and investigation, resulting in an additional investment of £230 million across the United Kingdom by 2008.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding it will receive from the UK Government to counter the increased threat of terrorism.

Cathy Jamieson: National security is reserved. The level of investment announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be directed to enhancing the security of the UK as a whole.

Employment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the administrator of Edinburgh Crystal with regard to (a) its future and (b) payment and assistance to redundant staff.

Nicol Stephen: Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian is playing a key role working with Edinburgh Crystal and with Midlothian Council in its discussions with Deloitte, the administrator. To help Edinburgh Crystal staff who may be affected, the local Partnership Action for Continuing Employment team stand ready to assist any who are made redundant in finding suitable alternative employment.

Environmental Health

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27328 by Hugh Henry on 1 September 2006, how much funding has been allocated to each local authority for noise nuisance teams in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Rhona Brankin: In 2005-06, 22 local authorities applied for grant funding to cover resource and equipment requirements for the provision of an antisocial noise service, increasing to 25 authorities in 2006-07. The following tables show the amounts allocated to each local authority under the Antisocial Behaviour Neighbour Noise Grant Scheme, based on bids received. The tables do not show the actual amounts paid, as these were and are dependent on invoices received.

  

 Local Authority
 Amount Offered 2005-06


 Aberdeen
£415,000.00


 Angus
£189,020.00


 Argyll and Bute
£26,600.00


 Clackmannanshire
£51,900.00


 Dumfries and Galloway
£183,872.00


 East Lothian
£105,742.00


 East Renfrewshire
£125,291.00


 Edinburgh
£895,613.00


 Falkirk
£124,400.00


 Glasgow
£802,911.00


 Inverclyde
£55,090.00


 Midlothian
£93,300.00


Total Ayrshire: North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire
£234,388.00 


 North Lanarkshire
£362,002.00


 Orkney Isles
£52,947.00


 Perth and Kinross
£336,339.00


 Renfrewshire
£100,600.00


 South Lanarkshire
£373,300.00


 West Dunbartonshire
£130,700.00


 West Lothian
£302,600.00


 Total
£4,961,615.00



  

 Local Authority
 Amount Offered 2006-07


 Aberdeen
£260,100.00


 Angus
£119,075.40


 Argyll and Bute
£82,080.00


 Clackmannanshire and Stirling
£207,000.00


 Dumfries and Galloway
£162,686.70


 Dundee
£554,097.60


 East Dunbartonshire
£255,042.00


 East Lothian
£78,300.00


 East Renfrewshire
£129,348.00


 Edinburgh
£654,170.40


 Falkirk
£115,623.90


 Fife
£477,000.00


 Glasgow
£512,325.00


 Inverclyde
£17,220.15


 Midlothian
£89,086.50


Total Ayrshire: North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire
£247,936.50 


 North Lanarkshire
£315,125.10


 Perth and Kinross
£258,486.30


 Renfrewshire
£73,800.00


 South Lanarkshire
£276,444.90


 West Dunbartonshire
£180,000.00


 West Lothian
£213,098.40


 Total
£5,278,046.85

Equal Opportunities

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the provision of additional funding to assist local authorities to meet their obligations under equal pay legislation and the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Code of Practice on Equal Pay.

Mr Tom McCabe: The core local government finance settlement includes provision for the salaries and wages paid by local authorities. The settlement is largely unhypothecated and it is for councils themselves to determine how they spend this in line with local needs and priorities. The pay and conditions of local government staff are matters for local authorities who have an obligation, like other employers, to ensure that they comply with all employment legislation.

  By the end of the current spending review period the core local government finance settlement will have increased by over £3 billion compared with 1999-2000, an increase of 55%. While the Executive’s overall spending plans in the period up to 2007-08 have been announced, we have said that within the overall total we remain prepared to look again at the funding for local government for 2007-08, and that remains the position.

Equal Opportunities

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24555 by Mr Tom McCabe on 19 April 2006, what advice it has given to local authorities with regard to implementing the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Code of Practice on Equal Pay.

Mr Tom McCabe: As stated in my previous response, "the Executive has not issued any specific guidance to local authorities in relation to their obligations under equal pay".

  The answer to question S2W-28118 is relevant with regards to the Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice on the Gender Equality Duty.

General Practitioners

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the recent recommendations of the Remote Practitioner Association Scotland (RPAS) it has implemented or intends to implement.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Remote Practitioner Association Scotland has not published any recent recommendations or reports. We are aware of its on-going involvement in the work to develop a framework for remote and rural health care as required by Delivering for Health and understand that the Association intends to produce recommendations relating to that piece of work.

General Practitioners

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when and on what matters it has consulted the Remote Practitioner Association Scotland (RPAS).

Mr Andy Kerr: A Remote and Rural Steering Group has been established under the direction of the North of Scotland Planning Group to develop a framework for remote and rural health care as required by Delivering for Health . The Remote Practitioner Association Scotland is involved in that process. We understand that the Remote Practitioner Association Scotland intends to provide a response to questions which have been posed by this group.

General Practitioners

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been put in place to secure sufficient training for rural and remote GPs.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that there is sufficient training for GPs in rural and remote areas. This is reflected in the distribution of GP registrar training places which have their highest concentration in the North of Scotland. Additionally, there is a dedicated rural fellowship programme, for which there are currently eight fellows supported by NHS Education for Scotland jointly with NHS boards.

Genetically Modified Food

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in relation to UK policy on the approval of genetically modified crops, foods and feeds for import or cultivation by the European Union.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has consistently supported the EU and UK policy that there should be rigorous, scientifically based, case-by-case scrutiny of applications for the approval of GM crops, foods and feeds. When the application includes the potential import or cultivation of a GM crop, the Executive as part of the UK competent authority contributes to the UK voting position.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what testing procedures are in place for genetically modified LL601 rice in Scotland and what comparative information it has on testing procedures in the (a) United Kingdom and (b) European Union.

Rhona Brankin: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that all consignments of long grain rice from USA which are not accompanied by an analytical report from an accredited laboratory will be required to be tested by the importer, prior to first placing on the market. There are two testing methods which can be used to test for genetically modified LL601 by accredited laboratories, both will be able to detect any genetically modified LL601 rice which is present. The testing procedures have been formally validated by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the same procedures are available for use elsewhere in the UK and the rest of the European Union.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the US Government following the contamination of US rice with unlicensed genetically modified LL601 rice and what information it has on any such representations by the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission.

Rhona Brankin: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that as the contamination with unauthorised genetically modified LL RICE 601 is an international trade issue, the European Commission is taking the lead. The Commission has written to US authorities requesting further information on the scale of the contamination. A formal response is still awaited. APHIS, the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has been asked by the US Department of Agriculture to carry out an investigation into the US rice supply.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed of the contamination of US rice by unlicensed genetically modified LL601 rice and what information it has on when the (a) European Commission and (b) UK Government were informed.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive was informed officially of this incident on Wednesday, 23 August 2006 by a submission from the Food Standards Agency. We understand that the US authorities informed the European Commission on the evening of Friday, 18 August 2006 and the Food Standards Agency on Monday, 21 August 2006 of this incident.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has put in place to protect consumers and livestock from unlicensed genetically modified rice and what information it has on what measures have been put in place by the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission.

Rhona Brankin: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that as the contamination with unauthorised genetically modified LL RICE 601 is an international trade issue, the European Commission is taking the lead. The Commission published Decision 2006/578 on 24 August which allows for the placing on the market of long grain rice products from the US only when an analytical report, from an accredited laboratory, accompanying the consignment demonstrates that the product does not contain LL RICE 601. In the absence of such an analytical report, the importer shall have the products tested to demonstrate they do not contain LL RICE 601. These measures have been put in place throughout the UK and all other member states. Member states will take appropriate measures, including random sampling and analysis, to verify the absence of LL RICE 601 in products referred to in Article 1 of the Decision which are already on the market.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the main UK ports of entry are for long grain rice imported to Scotland from the United States of America, either directly or via ports in EU member states.

Rhona Brankin: I understand that most long grain rice imported into the EU from the United States of America arrives at Rotterdam in the Netherlands and, from there, most shipments enter the UK via English ports such as Immingham, Felixstowe and London (including Tilbury).

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of milled rice is imported from the United States of America and through which ports.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27908 on 13 September 2006, and to the question S2W-28147 answered on 19 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed by the Food Standards Agency of any monitoring programme for cargoes entering the United Kingdom in order to ensure that only non-genetically modified rice is allowed into the market in Scotland and, if so, what sampling protocols have been recommended and whether polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for generic parts of genetically modified constructs has been considered in the absence of a definitive PCR test for the LL601 variety of genetically modified rice.

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed that the Food Standards Agency or port health authorities hold rice cargoes at port until verification of any genetically modified content has been obtained from a reputable laboratory.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency has informed me that Commission Decision 2006/578/EC, issued on 23 August 2006, requires all imports of long grain or broken rice originating from the USA to be accompanied by an analytical report from an accredited laboratory demonstrating that the products are not contaminated with the GM rice variety LLRICE601, which was recently identified in samples of rice in the USA.

  Any imports of long grain or broken rice that arrive from the USA without such certification are being held at ports until they can be certified to be free of LLRICE601.

  The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has validated two methods for the detection of the LLRICE601 variety of genetically method rice.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been informed by the Food Standards Agency that it will receive a definitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for the LL601 variety of genetically modified rice from the European Union, the US authorities or Bayer CropScience.

Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre have verified and published an event-specific detection method for identification of rice GM-event LLRICE601 which uses a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Testing for this GMO needs to be undertaken by an accredited laboratory.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cargoes of rice have arrived from the United States of America (a) directly and (b) via other European Union members since the LL601 genetically modified rice contamination was first announced on 21 August 2006.

Rhona Brankin: The requested information is not available.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cargoes of rice have arrived from the United States of America (a) directly and (b) via other European Union members since the LL601 genetically modified rice contamination was first discovered in January 2006.

Rhona Brankin: Information on the number of cargoes is not available. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27908 on 13 September 2006, which contains the most recent information on rice imports. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether instructions have been given to UK retailers and wholesalers of US rice in relation to testing for the presence of genetically modified rice in rice stocks.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency has informed me that they have reminded food business operators of their responsibilities to ensure that the food they sell complies with the relevant legislation. Food retailers and wholesalers are responsible for ensuring that the food they sell does not contain unauthorised GM material.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions the Food Standards Agency has issued to wholesalers and retailers on what action they should take if genetically modified rice is detected in stocks of US rice.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency informs me that they have issued no such instructions.

  Enforcement authorities will take appropriate action if they find unauthorised GM products on the market, which might include monitoring, withdrawal or recall. If a food business operator considers or has reason to believe that a food which it has imported, produced, processed, manufactured or distributed is not in compliance with food safety requirements, it is obliged by law to withdraw the food in question from the market.

Housing

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households do not have a connection to the mains electricity supply, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the actual numbers not connected to mains electricity is not held centrally.

  The Scottish House Condition Survey, which measures house condition for a sample of occupied dwellings, identifies occupied dwellings in the sample not connected to electric mains. Of the sample of 15,000 occupied dwellings surveyed in 2002, three dwellings did not have a connection to the mains electricity supply. This number is too small to provide a reliable estimate of the total number of dwellings in Scotland or in each local authority area without a mains electricity supply.

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available, or committed, to provide affordable housing in Dumfries and Galloway since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Funding made available through Communities Scotland and its predecessor body, Scottish Homes, to provide affordable housing in Dumfries and Galloway since 1999 is as follows:

  

 Year
£ Million


 1999-2000
 2.986


 2000-01
 4.874


 2001-02
 4.349


 2002-03
 4.276


 2003-04
 5.718


 2004-05
 8.379


 2005-06
 10.447


 2006-07
 11.267


 Total
 41.029



  The 2006-07 figure is an estimate. All other figures reflect actual out-turn.

Justice

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26055 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 June 2006, whether the rate of conviction for rape for cases proceeding to court in 2002-03 was 63.8%, as identified in the answer, or 26%, as identified in Review of the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences in Scotland, published by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in June 2006.

Cathy Jamieson: The two figures referred to are not directly comparable as they are based on different analyses of two different sets of information.

  The conviction rate of 26% published in the Review of the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences in Scotland report derives from an analysis of prosecution case papers carried out by COPFS as part of its review of the way in which serious sexual offences are investigated and prosecuted. The conviction rate of 26% is a percentage of all cases indicted with a charge of rape in the financial year 2002-03 which resulted in a conviction. This figure is confined to cases where the victim was an adult, in which there is the additional challenge of proving that the victim did not consent to sexual intercourse.

  The conviction rate of 63.8% derived from figures given in reply to S2W-26055 is based on data extracted from the Scottish Executive Justice Department court proceedings database. It expresses, as a percentage of the total number of proceedings concluded in financial year 2002-03 with rape as the final main offence recorded, those where the charge was proved. Cases initially prosecuted on a charge of rape but which result in a conviction for some alternative charge are not included. Unlike the figures produced as part of the Review of the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences in Scotland, the total number of cases used in calculating this percentage does not include cases where it was ruled there was no case to answer or where the prosecutor withdrew the charges. The court proceedings statistics for a particular year will exclude the outcome of proceedings which had not been recorded on the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) criminal history system at the point at which the analysis file for that year was created. Recording delays at SCRO in previous years can mean that some disposals, particularly in relation to acquittals in the High Court, are missing from the court proceedings database.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals with no car insurance were convicted of a motoring offence in each year since 1997, broken down into those aged (a) 17, (b) 18, (c) 19, (d) 20, (e) 21, (f) 22, (g) 23, (h) 24 and (i) 25 and over.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on whether or not persons convicted of motoring offences had car insurance is not recorded in the statistics held centrally. Figures for the number of offences with a charge proved of failing to insure against third party risks are given in the following table.

  Third-Party Insurance Offences with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts, by Age of Offender, 1997-98 to 2004-05

  

 Age
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 17 and under
 1,208
 1,149
 1,103
 911
 1,090
 1,460
 1,228
 1,044


 18
 1,023
 941
 952
 830
 1,041
 1,136
 1,045
 868


 19
 1,170
 901
 1,026
 949
 1,021
 1,192
 1,060
 931


 20
 1,024
 946
 1,015
 939
 1,128
 1,261
 1,057
 890


 21
 960
 840
 945
 830
 1,028
 1,155
 1,067
 837


 22
 920
 784
 803
 733
 997
 1,102
 1,007
 815


 23
 852
 716
 748
 672
 913
 977
 960
 836


 24
 769
 777
 711
 625
 731
 937
 921
 732


 25 and over 
 8,909
 8,299
 7,944
 7,454
 8,896
 10,420
 11,427
 9,813


 Total
 16,835
 15,353
 15,247
 13,943
 16,845
 19,640
 19,772
 16,766

National Health Service

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases alleging medical negligence against the NHS and NHS boards there has been resort to alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, in each year since 1999-2000.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of cases alleging medical negligence against NHSScotland put forward by the Central Legal Office for alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, in each year since 1999-2000 is seven. The following table provides a breakdown of cases on a year-by-year basis. Of these cases, none achieved a satisfactory conclusion through the use of alternative dispute resolution.

  

 Year
 Number of Cases


 2000
 0


 2001
 1


 2002
 0


 2003
 0


 2004
 2


 2005
 3


 2006
 1


 Total

Oil Industry

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what long-term plans it has to address skills shortages in the oil industry, in particular in the fields of engineering and machine control.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is part of PILOT - a joint industry/government initiative established in 2000 to secure a long term future for the oil and gas sector in the UK.

  PILOT, through the Industry Leadership Team, has recently introduced the Accelerate programme to attract new entrants to the industry and to manage the transfer of skilled technicians from different backgrounds into the industry.

  One element of this programme is the Technician Training (Modern Apprenticeship) scheme. This addresses the current shortage of skilled engineers by providing training for new entrants. One hundred new entrants are starting courses this month in Scotland.

  The Industry Leadership Team has also commissioned a study of the longer term supply and demand workforce issues which will inform future programmes of work to address skills shortages in the industry.

Regional Selective Assistance

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses were granted regional selective assistance (RSA) in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many have subsequently (a) gone into administration or ceased operations and (b) relocated their operations outside Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The following table provides details of the number of RSA offers accepted and the amount paid in each financial year between 1999-2000 and 2005-06. It also shows the amount of grant recovered and written-off in the same period.

  

 Financial Year
 Accepted Offers
 Grant Paid
 Grant Recoveries
 Written-Off


 1999-2000
 253
£51,966,770
£9,167,752
£1,104,008


 2000-01*
 180
£72,191,855*
£2,673,119
£3,784,412


 2001-02*
 160
£44,419,350*
£20,354,106
£1,366,625


 2002-03*
 183
£44,480,856*
£5,859,787
£1,296,633


 2003-04*
 157
£44,233,335*
£12,514,738
£1,519,935


 2004-05*
 164
£43,944,800*
£1,763,332
£1,734,124


 2005-06*
 152
£43,818,969*
£586,685
£1,117,232


 Total
 1,249
£345,055,935
£52,919,339
£11,922,969



  Note: *Spend from financial year 2000-01 is given on an accruals basis

  RSA is paid in instalments, sometimes over several years and only as specific job and capital expenditure targets are met. Not all projects will proceed, and nor do all accepted offers result in full payment of RSA grant, as projects are sometimes scaled down or abandoned before payments are made. The amount of RSA paid, shown above, will therefore include payments in relation to offers that were accepted in previous financial years. Grant recoveries are, for the most part, in relation to amounts paid out in earlier years.

  We do not hold specific records of companies that have gone into administration, ceased trading or relocated outside Scotland after receiving RSA. However, grant recoveries and write-offs result from non compliance with the conditions in the RSA grant agreement. Some of the reasons for this will be because businesses have gone into administration or ceased operations.

Regional Selective Assistance

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of regional selective assistance (RSA) allocated in each year since 1999 was granted to (a) new technology companies, (b) call centres, (c) manufacturing industries and (d) other industries.

Allan Wilson: The information requested is not held centrally. However, information on accepted offers and payments of RSA since April 2002, including a description of the projects, can be found on the RSA Scotland website at www.rsascotland.gov.uk .

  Further information on RSA accepted offers, including details by sector, using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes, are published in Scottish Economic Statistics, a Scottish Executive National Statistics publication. Copies of these annual publications can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/ses/ses-00m.asp.

  There are no SIC codes specifically for new technology companies and call centres.

Scottish Executive

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its computer accounts have been hacked into in each year since 1999, broken down by department.

Mr Tom McCabe: There have been no reported incidents of account hacking on Scottish Executive systems in the years concerned.

Waste Management

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and other support will be provided to Scottish Water to implement its sewage sludge strategy when finalised.

Rhona Brankin: Ministers have specified the objectives Scottish Water must deliver in the Directions issued on 28 September 2005. In January 2006, Scottish Water accepted the Water Industry Commission for Scotland determination of resources as sufficient to deliver these requirements. Should the sewage sludge strategy give rise to a requirement for additional resources, this would, in the first instance, be a matter for Scottish Water to discuss with its economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, through the agreed procedures detailed in the final determination.

Waste Management

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what implementation timetable it envisages for the Scottish Water sewage sludge strategy.

Rhona Brankin: The timetable for implementing Scottish Water’s sewage sludge strategy is an operational matter for Scottish Water. I understand that Scottish Water is reviewing the comments received following the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) consultative exercise which was carried out in support of its Sludge Strategy, and is considering amendments to the strategy and the SEA in the light of those comments. I will ask the Chief Executive to respond directly to you.